Little Pink Starfish

The Despairing Boss

Xiao Wei hesitated. “Maybe… maybe it just got on him.”

Xiao Wu asked, “That’s what the prince consort said?”

Xiao Wei lowered his head without answering.

“Forget it.” Xiao Wu clapped a hand on Xiao Wei’s shoulder. “The prince consort is a good man—he’d never do anything evil. Whatever he says, we’ll believe.”

“Yeah,” Xiao Wei murmured. “I think so too.”

While the two dark guards whispered beneath the trees, the great boss of the pirates sat stewing in a pitch-dark palace room, teeth grinding. He glared at Xiao Zhuang. “You sure the princess didn’t forget us?”

Xiao Zhuang looked mournful.

The boss, still cradling the unconscious Li Wan, shot daggers from his eyes. Li Wan had woken up a few times, only to be knocked out by Xiao Zhuang each time without a shred of mercy. The boss’s heart ached every time—but what could he do? If Li Wan realized they were trapped inside the imperial palace, she might die from fright! Getting knocked out was better than dying from fear, right?

“She might’ve gotten held up,” Xiao Zhuang offered weakly. “The princess may have run into something unexpected.”

The boss spat at him. “Run into what? With that princess’s skills, what can stop her? I was a fool for trusting that nutjob! Out of all the people in the world, I believed her! And now here I am, waiting to die!”

He slumped against the wall. “If we get caught, you think she’ll come bust us out? Stage a jailbreak or something?”

Xiao Zhuang hugged his knees on the floor, silent.

“Fine, keep pretending to be tough,” the boss muttered. “But let me be clear—if we’re caught, don’t you dare admit you know Miss Li.”

Xiao Zhuang asked, “Then what do I say?”

“She said we’re assassins, right?” The boss grinned bitterly. “Then we’re assassins. Let’s take the fall.”

Xiao Zhuang blinked. “That’s a capital crime—they’ll execute us and wipe out our families!”

The boss scoffed. “You got nine generations of family to worry about?”

Xiao Zhuang was struck speechless.

The boss flashed a crooked grin. “You’re just a lone pup. Die now, and in eighteen years, you’ll be back as a hero. What’s to fear?”

Xiao Zhuang chuckled despite himself. “Did I ever tell you?”

The boss perked up. “What? The princess gave you another plan?”

“I used to be a personal guard to the emperor,” Xiao Zhuang said, looking smug. “His Majesty knows who I am.”

The boss went blank.

He was recognized by the emperor?!

“What’s the point of pretending to be assassins, then?” the boss groaned. “We’re toast.”

Xiao Zhuang laughed gleefully at the boss’s expression. “Anything else you want to say?”

The boss wiped his nose and grumbled, “What are you grinning for? You’re the princess’s man. If you get caught, don’t you think His Majesty will question her?”

Xiao Zhuang’s smile faded.

The boss, not missing a beat, added, “Even if you deny her, say you betrayed her and joined forces with me to stir trouble—it doesn’t matter. You think she’ll play along? With that brain of hers? What do you think she’ll say to the emperor?”

Xiao Zhuang was stunned into silence.

The boss pulled a dagger from his robes. “There’s only one way left.” He leaned close and whispered, “I’ll slash up your face so His Majesty won’t recognize you. That way, she won’t get dragged down.”

Xiao Zhuang stared at the cold glint of the blade, his eyelid twitching.

The boss tapped his cheek with the flat of the dagger. “If the guards find us, I’m doing it.”

“It’s the imperial guards,” Xiao Zhuang mumbled.

The boss rolled his eyes. “Whatever! You people who follow Princess Linglong—are all your brains broken?!”

---

At that moment, Emperor Xianzong stood before the Rain-Pavilion, listening to his commander report the results.

“No trace of the assassin,” the general said. “The guards are still sweeping the palace.”

Xianzong glanced at the silent Chengguan, the imperial monk, and growled, “Start with the Buddhist Hall and the Lan Book Pavilion. Search every inch! I don’t care how skilled that bastard is—he can’t sprout wings and fly away!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The general quickly bowed and left.

“Must I do everything myself?” Xianzong muttered bitterly. “Why can’t you people ever give me a moment’s peace?”

No one dared respond.

Chengguan merely watched in silence.

“Let’s go in,” Xianzong said. “I have something to discuss.”

They entered Chengguan’s temporary palace quarters. Incense wafted gently through the room, and a small table was set with a half-played game of Go.

Xianzong glanced at the board and sneered. “The palace is up in flames, and you still had time for a game?”

Chengguan replied calmly, “With Your Majesty here, I knew no traitors would cause real chaos.”

Xianzong took a seat by the half-open window and waved Chengguan over. “Sit. I want your thoughts.”

The monk joined him.

Xianzong played with a black piece in his fingers. “The one who dared to burn and kill in my palace—who has that kind of nerve, hmm?”

Chengguan stared at the board for a while, then asked, “Do you have proof, Your Majesty?”

Smack! A loud slap of the board. “So even you think it’s Wen Fenglin?!”

Chengguan sighed. “Even if it is the junior master—what can you do?”

Xianzong tossed the black piece onto the board. “Another thing—I need to tell you. Wuhuan is here, in the capital.”

Chengguan’s eyes widened.

“Linglong met him,” Xianzong continued. “She said Wuhuan wants Wen Fenglin dead. Now tell me—what’s going on between those two?”

Chengguan slowly lowered his head, eyes back on the scattered Go pieces like entering a meditative trance.

Xianzong sat and waited. At this point, I’m done losing sleep over it. Let the pieces fall where they may.

After a long silence, Chengguan finally spoke. “Did Wuhuan leave Zhu Ri on his own?”

“Jingmo never said anything,” Xianzong replied. “Clearly, Wuhuan came without permission.”

“That’s reckless…” Chengguan muttered.

“Very,” said Xianzong. “When Linglong found him, he was about to be beaten by Chenqi and Chenmie. She saved him.”

“Chenqi and Chenmie trained Wuhuan,” Chengguan explained. “Besides the abbot, they’re the only ones who could restrain him.”

“Well, without Linglong, Wuhuan would be a corpse right now,” Xianzong said.

“They wouldn’t have killed him.”

“Oh?” Xianzong raised an eyebrow. “You mean they’d just drag him back to Yongsheng Temple so the abbot could kill him instead? What’s the difference—dying now or ten days later?”